Raglan Road Irish Pub -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- Downtown Disney

*This dining experience took place in December 2013Raglan Road Irish Pub has quickly become a favorite dining place for many gluten free diners. Well known for its simple & fresh Irish flavors and ingredients, while providing safe gluten free options, it's no wonder Raglan Road was voted one of the best gluten free restaurants in Orlando in 2013. As a frequent visitor to the Walt Disney World Resort, this has also become a fast favorite of mine as well.On this particular occasion, I visited with my family in the afternoon on the day after the 2013 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. We were all a bit tired and  really wanted to just relax after a morning of shopping and packed evening the night before. As you can see, we visited in December and the restaurant was festively decorated for the holiday season.Our server immediately asked if anyone in our party needed gluten free or food allergy accommodations, which I love. It's really a nice touch that the servers are well equipped and prepared to assist with special dietary needs. Because I've been to the location several times, I more or less knew many of the options available to me. I also knew that there was one thing I really wanted to try...the Scallop Forest: Georges Bank scallops in a a golden batter served with citrus lime dipping sauce and sweet chili jam. I also decided to go with a salad for something lighter after eating deep fried appetizers. We also ordered gluten free onion rings, so I really didn't want to push it by ordering Fish and Chips too. That being said, I love their fish and chips!First up were the scallops. Wow, these were really good. I actually prefer these to the onion rings hands down. The scallops were of high quality and the breading, which is the same that they use on all of their deep fried products (made with a Domata Flour base), was crisp and flavorful. The server said both sauces were gluten free & dairy free, but I skipped the citrus lime dipping sauce just to be on the safe side. The sweet chili jam was out of this world. Sweet and spicy all at the same time. It was the perfect accompaniment for seafood. You can actually purchase this sauce in the Raglan Road store as well! My only complaint for this dish was that I thought the scallops were slightly overcooked, but given the taste of these I'm not going to complain too loudly!In my hunger, I managed to forget to take a photo of the onion rings, but you can see a recent photo of them in a guest review here on the blog. These were nice and crisp and the onions were well cooked. They were slightly underseasoned, but luckily I still had some sweet chili jam to smother them in. That jam works on everything!For my entree, I ordered the new salmon salad: Citrus Salmon - Grilled fillet of Atlantic salmon with mixed greens, carrots, orange segments & toasted almonds tossed in a citrus herb vinaigrette. It replaces the "Slim Salmon" salad and I think based on the taste of this one, it's an improvement. The portion of salmon was huge, very high quality and perfectly cooked. The salad itself was delicious - well dressed and seasoned. The citrus herb vinaigrette was so flavorful and the addition of fresh fruit and almonds really accented the dish. I would not hesitate to order this one again. It balanced out my deep fried indulgences at the beginning of the meal nicely.Overall, I continue to impressed by Raglan Road. As I begin to branch out into ordering other dishes, I'm really appreciate the fresh flavors, seasonal and quality ingredients. In addition, the staff is really knowledgeable about gluten free offerings and worked well to make sure everything was dairy free too.I would give this visit a solid 9 out of 10. The meal was divine, the service terrific and the special diets accommodations excellent.Have you been to Raglan Road? What do you think of their gluten free offerings?

Grand Floridian Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian

*This dining experience took place in December 2013.

Disney's Grand Floridian Cafe offers guests a chance to enjoy a refined meal in a casual setting. Located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, it's one of the few locations in the resort that offers an affordable a la carte meal. One of my favorite meals here is the low-key breakfast. Guests with special diets will be treated to a variety of breakfast staples, including the allergy friendly Mickey waffles found on property.On this particular visit, I dined here for a late breakfast at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (see a recap HERE). It has been a while since I visited the Grand Floridian Cafe, but I knew I wanted to get something pretty standard. Eggs, maybe some Mickey waffles, nothing too fancy. But what I love about this place isn't necessarily the food (which is good) but the atmosphere. It always seems really calm and relaxing in here. It never seems super busy and it's a bit removed, which I like. It's certainly crazy busy like 1900 Park Fare!

After being seated, I looked over the menu and decided that I likely wanted the American entree which is offered at a lot of restaurants. It's usually just eggs of some type, potatoes of some type, breakfast meat and sometimes bread or waffles. The chef came out and I asked him if he had any suggestions, which he did not. Sometimes, they'll let me know some unique options that I wouldn't thank of, but this time I was basically asked to choose what I want. I told him that I wanted the modified American. Instead of getting Mickey waffles I chose to get Udi's toast (I know, shocker!).

I opted to get eggs over-easy, hashbrowns (which were yummy), and bacon. The chef was extra generous with the bacon on this visit! All of these were good. I wouldn't say anything spectacular, but still good nonetheless.

The chef was also generous with the bread too--three slices! I asked for Earth Balance vegan margarine but instead he gave me Smart Balance. It is vegan (and incidentally also owned by the same company that owns Earth Balance), but I'm really not a fan. I prefer Earth Balance all the way.

Overall, I like the Grand Floridian Cafe. It provides a solid meal in a charming restaurant. I really enjoy getting a nice seat by the windows and looking out at the Grand Floridian grounds.I'd give this particular visit a 7 out of 10. It's nothing fancy, even though the restaurant has a certain fanciness about it, but the food is solid. The chefs seem willing to make me potatoes which doesn't always happen at some restaurants, and the breakfast was tasty overall. Next time I'd like to see if they can make their cranberry orange pecan pancakes sauce gluten & dairy free for the allergy Mickey waffles. The sauce/topping looked amazing!Have you been to the Grand Floridian Cafe? What do you like to order there?

Plaza Restaurant -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in December 2013.

The Plaza Restaurant holds a nostalgic place in many Disney visitors’ hearts. Located at the very end of Main Street U.S.A., this restaurant is reminiscent of a turn-of-the-century ice cream parlor. There are two sections of the Plaza – the ice cream parlor itself and the table service location just around the corner. Both options allow guests to order various special diets related ice cream. From a non-dairy banana split to lots of topping options, there are a lot of options to choose from.On this particular occasion, we visited before Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Typically, we eat at Liberty Tree Tavern before a holiday party at the Magic Kingdom, but this year we had a slight change of plans, and so we ate at the Plaza which was about the only option available besides Tony’s Town Square other than quick service.  I had visited the Plaza last in November 2012 and didn’t have a great experience (read that review HERE.) I was hopeful that I had one bad experience and that this one would be great, given I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Chef aka Cousin Ken and the restaurant in general.

It was a slow afternoon at the Plaza and we were seated promptly. I was told they would bring an allergy binder but they never did. I have to say, this is a weird restaurant. It sort of straddles quick service / table service. It’s not really quite either. This is also the only restaurant that I know of Disney property table service wise where they bring out an allergy binder (unless you specifically asked for an ingredients list, etc.). Chef Guerrin came out to assist me before an allergy binder ever came out. The last time I had gotten the Club Sandwich, so I decided to go for it this time. I remembered that I liked the griddled bun and I was kind of hoping I’d get it again (I didn’t). I also asked if they had a dedicated fryer for the fries, and he said, “Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to make you sick.” Um, OK. Well, I appreciate his dedication in saying it will be safe, but I kind of wanted to hear the statement, “Yes, we have a dedicated fryer.” And he just wouldn’t say that. Every time I asked him something (and I asked in multiple ways), he would say “It’s fine. Trust me.” This chef really needs to learn to interact with special diets folks. It’s not that I’m distrusting but a little information about your process makes me feel a lot safer.I also ordered a sundae with Rice Dream vanilla non-dairy ice cream and Chocolate Tofutti with strawberry sauce, pineapple sauce, chocolate syrup (which he kept saying was fudge and I kept telling him no syrup, fudge has dairy), and nuts.

My sandwich came out pretty late compared to the other meals, not anything unusual given that it often takes longer for my food at quick service locations. When the sandwich came out, I noticed it was Udi’s bread. Thank goodness that Udi’s can be eaten cold without any needing to be toasted or heated up. Because this would have been a rough sandwich otherwise. I admit, I personally would have like to have seen it toasted or griddled. But, that’s just me. I couldn’t confirm if they still had GNI buns on hand, though my guess is they do. The fries were nothing to write home about – basic steak fries. My sandwich was also just so-so. It tasted like something I can make at home. For the price, it’s not a terrible deal but really, I should have just gone to Columbia Harbour House for allergy chicken tenders!Once it was time for the sundae, again I had a considerable wait time. As in, my family finished their dessert before I got mine. Once mine came out, I quickly noticed it was minus the chocolate sauce. I asked if they didn’t have safe chocolate sauce then anymore? The chef then quickly ran to the back and brought out a container with sauce. It seemed thick. Thicker than Hershey’s chocolate syrup. Given there were so many confusions about the syrup already, I asked the server to please get the chef so I could talk to him. Again, I got the “the chef brought it out so it is safe” statement, but I insisted that they get the chef.

When he came out, he basically told me it’s the right thing and just trust him. I explained to him that I would get very sick if I consumed dairy and that I really wanted to make sure it wasn’t the wrong thing. I asked if he could just please bring out the binder and/or packaging of what he served me. He then went back and got the “hot fudge” sauce to compare. They looked fairly similar but not quite the same. I still explained that I wanted to know if this was OK but it wasn’t Hershey’s. Holy moly; he was not getting this. In the meantime, my mom tried it and said it tasted like syrup to me. Finally, he brought out the ingredients binder, which confirmed it was Mrs. Richardsons sauce which explained the difference. All I honestly wanted was confirmation that I wasn’t going to get dairy. Chef Guerrin was not at all happy with me by the time we went through all of this. But honestly, I felt like he didn’t take this or me seriously at all. I understand he has a busy kitchen to run and that it’s crazy. But it certainly wasn’t what I expected from Disney in terms of handling special dietary needs.In general, I think I might be done with the Plaza for a long time. It just seems like every time I go I get less than stellar food accommodations and very little information about what I’m consuming. This last one just really gave a sour taste in my mouth on the Plaza; especially after he made me feel so bad after the whole chocolate syrup ordeal. The sundae, which was actually good but not great, wasn’t really worth the hassle. In fact, I’d rather just go to 50’s Prime Time for their brownie sundae (soooo good!) or Beaches n’ Cream. And given the quality of the food, it’s not worth it as a table service for me.I’m giving this particular experience a 4 for mediocre food but mostly because of the whole chef interaction from start to finish. I know that lots of you really love the Plaza, but the chefs I’ve had here haven’t really made my experiences good.Have you been to the Plaza? What has your experience been?

Biergarten -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Epcot -- World Showcase

*This dining experience took place in November 2013.

 The Germany pavilion in Epcot makes you feel like you are in Munich for Oktoberfest. There’s a lot of charm to this spot in the World Showcase and Biergarten, the pavilion’s table service location, really embodies this essence. The restaurant is set to resemble a German Oktoberfest celebration, complete with an Oompah Band and communal dining. I had heard lots of great reviews for vegetarian dining from the Disney Hipsters, Adam and Andrew, and also lots of gluten free diners. Believe it or not, I had never been to Biergarten, so I decided to stop by for lunch as a part of the Candelight Processional Dinner Package (more on that in another post).Biergarten is set far back in the pavilion. It’s located next to Sommerfest which is the quick service location that serves bratwurst, currywurst and macaroni & cheese among its offerings. I occasionally pop by this location because I really enjoy the bratwurst on a gluten free/dairy free bun (which varies) and sauerkraut (you can read a review about this restaurant HERE). When we went to check in to this location, I saw the prices for meals—for an all-you-care-to-eat location, I thought it was pretty reasonable! Way cheaper when you compare some of the other buffet or family style locations. Plus, if you are a Tables in Wonderland card holder, you get 20% off or 10% off for Annual Passholders.

 The restaurant check-in was super busy, and we tried to check in 30 minutes early but were told to come back 15 minutes before our ADR. Wow, that was actually a first for us. So, we wandered around the World Showcase for a bit, and then came back to check-in. The cast members give you the spiel about siting with other diners (which we knew ahead of time) and also climbing stairs. As we saw when we got in the restaurant, it would be slightly more difficult if you had mobile challenges, as there were levels of seating. Once our pager went off, we were taken into the restaurant with a group of 5 plus our group of 3.I’m not going to lie, seating is a little weird, especially if you have an odd numbered party.  We sat towards the railing at our table and our table-mates sat closer to the walk-way. Once seated our server clarified who was in each party and then took drink orders. She also told me she would get the chef for me. The rest of the table went to get in line – which was a good idea because it was crazy busy in there. Evidently the Candelight Processional dinner package meant the 1 p.m. time frame was nutso!

 The chef came over and offered to walk me around the buffet. He basically went over the options which were safe and which to stay away from. Pretty much all of the non-breaded meats were safe (i.e. bratwursts, sausage, cold cuts, pates, etc.) Most of the veggies were safe too with the exception of the cold potato salad, macaroni gratin, and some other items. All but one sauce for the carving station were gluten free & dairy free (aka sweet mustard). Soups were definitely out--dairy and gluten filled cream based soups! Dessert basically off-limits except the fruit compote which came in individual ramekins. Then the chef pretty much was going to walk away; but I wanted to ask if they had bread or buns (which I knew they had) and dessert options. He said he could get be a bun and maybe some cookies. I’ve heard really wonderful things about the chefs here from others, but this chef was pretty disinterested. I’m sure he was totally slammed in the back, but I felt like he was just trying to get through with me as quickly as possible.Heading back to the buffet, I saw several areas that felt like big cross contamination risks to me, especially because it was so busy. I actually waited and asked for fresh plates and serving spoons as they came out because they were replenishing things really quickly. For instance, I scored fresh roasted chicken (which was in between fish in a sauce, meatballs, and schnitzel – a gluten free nightmare!) and also fresh sausages and even fresh German potato salad (my favorite thing of the day). So, it definitely pays to ask. I stayed away from the salad area as much as possible.

 While walking back from the buffet stations, the Oompah band started. Did I mention how amazing these guys were? Totally charming and totally awesome. Not only was it great to have some live entertainment, but they also got the audience involved too. Plus, they sang Christmas songs. Talk about getting in the holiday spirit!

Really bad photo of the Oompah band!

As far as the food goes, it was actually fairly good. First off, I adored the plates and bowls. How cute are they? Loved the designs, and they very light plastic plates, so you wouldn't feel too horrible if you dropped one. As you can see from my plate, I had a menagerie of food items plopped into one. This was because I honestly didn't want to make a second huge trip (although I did go back for more bratwurst and German potato salad).

 Here are some of the things I got: Bean salad (which was green beans and other white beans with some type of vinegar sauce), pickles (FYI these were amazing! They were like a spicy bread & butter pickle that they make in-house), German potato salad (can you say lots of bacon?!), roasted root vegetables (parsnips, carrots), sauteed green beans and red onions (I'm still not sure what was in this but wow, it was good), roasted chicken, carved pork tenderloin, Bratwurst, some other type of wurst (which I hated and promptly gave to my family), sauerkraut, applesauce, mustard (not sweet), and curry ketchup (I adore curry ketchup!!). I did got back for seconds on several things, so I was definitely very full by the end of the meal!I will say that it's a good thing that I eat meat because I'm not sure a gluten free vegan or vegetarian would have many options. There are good options for vegetarians but add in another special diet and it seemed much harder.

I love the tea in the "beer" steins!

 The roll that was brought to me was Ener-G and it was not at all heated well. I'm fairly convinced they shoved it in a microwave and it turned hard instantly. Still, smother anything with some curry ketchup and it's good! (which is obviously what I did!).For dessert, I sampled the fruit compote (sorry I forgot to take photos), which were really yummy. Sweet but tart at the same time, I found the mixed berries (including strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries) to be really nice after a heavy meal. I also got Enjoy Life cookies and a Boom Boom Bar (which I love) for the road. That Boom Boom Bar was the perfect snack on my drive home from Disney!Overall, I liked Biergarten for the ambiance and the decor. Our table mates were not at all chatty and really weren't interested in interacting with our party, so it made for a weird vibe. It would be awesome if you had your whole family there or a big group of friends (which I plan to do). Food-wise, I would say it was OK. I liked a lot of the dishes but I also didn't love all of them. The roasted chicken was dry and bland and some of the sausages were just plain gross but I did find things I liked. I also wish the chef on this visit would have made more of an effort to help ensure cross-contamination risks by perhaps bringing me more items from the back--though I was able to work around that myself. Of course, the Oompah Band alone makes me want to go back again! We caught not one but two shows that afternoon!For this visit, I would give it a 7 for ambiance, charm, and fairly decent offerings.Have you been to Biergarten? What was your experience?

California Grill -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Contemporary

*This dining experience took place in November 2013.

Set atop the top floor of the Contemporary Resort, California Grill offers guests not only an amazing view of the Magic Kingdom but also a taste of culinary and seasonal offerings. Long hailed as one of the best places to dine on property, it was with great fanfare that this location went down for a lengthy refurbishment this past year. Having re-opened early this fall, many guests have been flocking to California Grill to see the new decor and taste items from the new menu. I finally was able to dine at this location after much anticipation.If you have read my past blog posts, you'll recall that I had my 30th birthday celebration dinner at California Grill. I adored the sea bass dish that I had, as well as the sushi (which California Grill is renowned for). I also had one of my favorite desserts there--a custom chocolate cake with non-dairy chocolate mousse and raspberry coulis. See that full review HERE. So, it was with great expectations that I went into this meal experience. It also happened to be my brother's 30th birthday meal celebration with friends & family, so it was an extra special night.

I love the new Mary Blair inspired decor

The first thing to know when you head to California Grill is that the main check-in is located on the 2nd floor of the Contemporary Resort. From there, you receive a pager and are taken by a cast member to the top floor of the resort to the restaurant. Once there, you can either spend time in the lounge enjoying a cocktail or wait for your seat to be ready. Our pager happened to go off while we were in the elevator, so we were seated quickly. It was also an early reservation 5:20 and the restaurant was not very busy yet.It was exciting to see the changes made to the restaurant. I like the wide openness of it and the new bright colors. It is said to be Mary Blair inspired (Mary Blair is a prominent Disney artist; you can see her touches all throughout the Contemporary Resort - including the large mural by the monorail - and by her work on rides like "It's a Small World."). Overall, it was a very big redesign. Everything is very streamlined and chic.

We had a large party (9) and were seated against one of the walls with a nice view of Walt Disney property. It's really impressive, especially as it gets darker! One of the new things I noticed was that there were iced containers located next to various groups of tables. This turned out to be where they serving their "house water" and keeping it here to chill. Someone posted that they use super purified water that is filtered 5 times. Our server didn't say, but it came out in big glass bottles that were then poured into our glasses.Speaking of our server, I have to say she was particularly unpleasant. I had been hearing some horror stories about the new California Grill staff and I have to say that unfortunately she lived up to those stories. She kept skipping over certain people at our table for drinks and was very grumpy. She seemed really grumpy after our orders and it only went downhill from there. Now our group was a family based one - we also had two children with us, one was 9 and the other was 11. As far as kids go, these two are extremely well-mannered and well-behaved. They are very polite and never fussed at the meal. They were also very engaging with the server which seemed to be off-putting to her. The kids certainly didn't notice but I was disappointed by her general lack of niceties. (*Note: at the time of day there were a lot of families with kids around in the restaurant).I was given a special diets sushi menu. This is kinda cool! It was nice to see that they gave some options right away for guests interested in sushi. It wasn't the clearest special diets menu I've ever seen but at least it was something. I was surprised then to learn that they didn't have any special dietary menu (some locations do this for ease for the guests & servers).

Special diets sushi offerings - see the menu transcribed HERE

When I started to talk about my special diet with the server her response was "We DO NOT bring the chef out." and that she would be working with me on this. I mentioned that I did not feel comfortable with this given Disney's policy is that chefs or managers consult with guests who have a special diet. This turned into the "We're not a typical Disney restaurant therefore the same rules do not apply" conservation began. Still, I insisted that I talk to a chef. When one came out, he seemed like this is not something they normally do (again, surprise on my end). He basically wouldn't give me any ideas of what to order for any portion of the meal, except dessert (I'll get to that in a minute). He said that they would "just substitute" whatever needed to be substituted. It was really quite strange overall. It was almost edging on the experience I had once at Jiko (which I have hailed as the worst dining experience I've ever had on property...see that HERE). But, I was optimistic. For dessert, the chef said my option was a pomegranate lime sorbet with fresh & seasonal fruits (he suggested pears). He did not take my order but rather told me that I would need to tell the server and they would coordinate. Again, this was feeling very strange given Disney's normal procedures.Meanwhile, the server brought out the GNI brand rolls with extra virgin olive oil. Nothing really special to report on these. These were the same old rolls I get most places. Luckily, they did heat them properly.

GNI Brand rolls with extra virgin olive oil

I decided to order the Bell & Evans Chicken which normally comes with mashed yukon gold potatoes, Braised Lacinato Kale, Caramelized Onion Jus. Mine came out with smashed sweet potatoes and the other accompaniments. It also had some type of mild chicken sausage patty on the bottom (imagine my surprise when I discovered it!). The chicken itself was encrusted with spices (and was skin on) including fresh sage. There was only one bone included in the piece of chicken and the remaining portion was boneless (much easier to cut that way but ensures that flavor). 

Bell & Evans chicken

When I first bit into the chicken, I assumed the crust had some type of breading to it and I just wanted to confirm that it was safe. The server again did not want to get the chef and said that it was safe. "Just trust me." Clearly, she doesn't know what it's like to live with a special diet. Once I felt safe eating the dish, I found it to be delicious. It was very flavorful with a rich complexity that you don't often see in many dishes outside of signature dining locations. The chicken itself was perfectly cooked and the seasonings were outstanding. The kale was delicious and well sauteed as were the onions. The mashed sweet potatoes were good and complimented the dish, though I think the yukon golds would have been better. In general, everyone seemed very pleased with their meal choices which ranged from the filet of beef to the pork two ways to sushi and flatbreads. I think the only dish that seemed to be less than well received was the three-meat signature meatball dish. I decided to forgo sushi this time or another appetizer for the dessert, as the sorbet sounded intriguing and even more intriguing with the fruit. The server basically said gluten & dairy free options are fresh fruit or this sorbet only. When it arrived, I was very disappointed that 1) it didn't have any fruit with it as the chef had mentioned and 2) that it was literally just scoops of sorbet (and not pretty scoops either). I was just a wee bit shocked given that many restaurants that are not signature dining locations go out of their way to make visually appealing presentations even just of sorbet. 

Pomegranate Lime Sorbet

 Just so you can see for comparison how many of the other desserts looked like, here's a non special diets dessert....

This is NOT gluten free & dairy free - this is the Sundae Sampler dessert

Taste-wise, the sorbet was good. It was very limey and I enjoyed it a lot. But, it was also really sweet. It needed some other taste profile to counter-balance the extreme sweetness. 

Gorgeous view of the Magic Kingdom!

As far as the meal went, I enjoyed the food that I did eat very much. I thought the entree was really excellent and I almost wish I would have gone for sushi instead of the dessert option. As my brother put it, food was terrific, service was terrible. I'm hoping that this location is working on improving this, as I keep hearing very consistent feedback from others indicating the same disappointments service wise. I'm also still very disappointed by the chef and servers lack of concern and/or communication with me about special diets options. They really made me feel like an after-thought and that I was putting them out at this meal. It's not something that I normally get at Disney, and quite honestly it will likely deter me from heading to California Grill for a while. I can easily head to so many of my favorite places that have just as high quality offerings but better service overall. It's a gorgeous location and terrific for special occasions but if this is their special diets accommodation, I personally would go elsewhere. I'd rate this particular experience the following: food here an 8 (it lost a point for me because of the dessert, but would otherwise have been a 9) and 6 for the lousy service.  Have you been to California Grill yet since the location re-opened? How as your experience?

Lotus Blossom Cafe -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Epcot -- World Showcase

*This dining experience took place in October 2013.

The China pavilion in Epcot provides a taste of Chinese cuisine. Lotus Blossom Cafe, the quick service location, serves fare such as orange chicken and shrimp fried rice. While its offerings are fairly limited for guests with special diets, I was able to order one item off the menu.Visiting this location was a whim really. I was craving some kind of Asian food, and while we initially thought about going to Sunshine Seasons, my brother and I decided to explore the World Showcase which led us to Lotus Blossom Cafe. I knew from Adam & Andrew from the Disney Hipsters that the Hong Kong Style Vegetable Curry over Rice was not vegetarian (bummer), and I honestly didn't expect there to be any options that were gluten & dairy free. Lotus Blossom Cafe does not at all seem particularly authentic, so I figured I'd be batting a thousand at this location.When I asked the cast member at the order stations, she said that she would get the manager. The manager came out and I told him what my special dietary needs were. Basically, he said there was one gluten free & dairy free option (and not vegetarian or vegan) which was the Shrimp fried rice without the egg roll and without the spicy cabbage which accompanied it. He said that they could add a fountain drink or a bottle of water with it at no charge. So, I decided to try the shrimp fried rice with the water.I will say that it came out really quickly, so they must have this ready to go on hand (the shrimp fried rice, in general). My brother ordered the same thing but with the egg roll and it also came out really quickly.

Ordering inside Lotus Blossom. It was really quiet in here.

In terms of taste, the shrimp fried rice was really bland. It reminded me a bit of the kind of Chinese food you get in the mall--which I admit, I sometimes crave as a GF/DF diner but obviously can never eat. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't good either. It was just boring and bland. Now in terms of portion, I will say it was quite large given the price $9 and I was full by the time I was done but not necessarily satisfied.

Shrimp fried rice

Would I eat here again? Probably not. 1) There are really no options for me other than the fried rice and I also still can't believe they don't have one vegetarian option! 2) The food really wasn't very good. I will say the manager was really nice but that doesn't make up for the lack of food options here. Overall, I'd probably give this a 3 out of 10 for the fact that the options really don't exist in this location and what I did get wasn't very good. I have so many places outside of Disney where I can actually get Asian food and I can also make pretty good versions at home myself. I'd bypass this location!

Tutto Italia -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Epcot -- World Showcase

*This dining review took place in October 2013. It includes a gluten free & dairy free review, as well as a gluten free & yellow food coloring review.

 Tutto Italia is a quintessential authentic Italian restaurant. From the tiled floors, to the gorgeous chandeliers, and dapper dressed servers, you will be transported to a fancy restaurant in Rome immediately. Having not dined at this location in many years (and prior to a special diet), I had no idea what to expect from this location. I learned not that long ago that Italy is one particular country that is very adept at handling Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance, and I was pleased to see that this location took extra steps to ensure that as well.

Gorgeous tile work!

One of the things that surprised me when we arrived is that the restaurant actually has a gluten free menu. I can't say that I've really seen many non-Disney owned locations carry such a menu, so this was nice. What's different about this location versus Disney owned ones is that the chefs do not come out to talk to you. In fact, we were assisted by the manager of the restaurant. He immediately came to our table and discussed some of the options with us. My friends (one of whom is GF) had dined here before, but it sounded like the GF menu was fairly new as they hadn't seen it before.

You can see a textual version of this menu HERE

There were a few dishes that were immediately out for me as a dairy free diner--Definitely no mozzarella or panna cotta. They said they could do the pasta dish without cheese (always good). I ended up going for the salmon because I thought it sounded good & was also very easily made GF/DF (safe choices are always my best bet). My friend ordered the insalata mista, which is also dairy free. And he shared with the table. It was really fresh and light. I would definitely consider ordering this (though it was a little pricey!).

Gluten free & dairy free bread in the background with EVOO & insalata mista

Now the manager also said they had bread on hand for gluten free diners. I asked specifically if it was also dairy free because I've encountered some imported bread that was not safe. He swore up and down that it was, but I still sort of questioned it (and we couldn't flag him down later). Though, after my friend & I both tasted it, we both thought it tasted like Schar. I didn't feel sick or get any scratchy throat, so I'm thinking it was OK.

Gluten Free (and likely dairy free) bread

The table also had extra virgin olive oil (very high quality) and green pitted olives. They were very good because they weren't briney at all and were very mild.

Our entrees came surprisingly quickly, and mine looked gorgeous! The colors were very vibrant and the fish looked beautiful. My initial reaction was though that mine wasn't safe because of the sauce on the top of the fish. It looked creamy (turns out it was just a really good emulsion), so I made sure to ask the servers to see if they could find out what was in it before I ate it. No taking chances on the entree. According to them it was parsley, orange citrus, and some type of vinaigrette. It definitely had a nice citrus punch to it and really complimented the meal nicely.

Check out that sauce! this was sooo good.

Taste-wise, I was really glad I got this dish. I personally find pasta almost too filling (I rarely eat) so this was perfect for me. The potatoes, artichokes, and olives were also really well balanced for the whole dish. This to me would be the dish I'd order again. Definitely a hands down winner.

Classic GF pasta dish!

My friend really enjoyed his pasta dish. In fact, he said it's the only pasta he's had properly al dente. That's really hard to do with GF pasta because it often becomes quite mushy. This seemed really hearty in terms of texture, so I'm not sure how they make it (other than it's rice pasta), but it seems like the Italian exported pasta is really substantial. Now my friend easily reacts to gluten and often feels sick by the end of a meal if he's been hit. This happened to him at Via Napoli but not at Tutto Italia. One of the warnings for Via Napoli was the flour in the air from the pizza. I would say that probably a safer bet would be to dine at Tutto Italia like we did for safer GF offerings.

Trio of breads

Interestingly enough, we asked for gluten free bread after the 3 pieces we were given were done, and they brought out a trio of breads the second time around. Now, this made me wonder if the 1st round was the GF/DF bread and these two contained dairy. I admit, I was nervous about that. We asked several times, but the servers could only tell us that it was the allergy bread. Um, not helpful guys! I tried a small corner of each and wasn't overly impressed, so I just abstained from the bread consumption. The middle one was like Cinnamon Raisin and the far right one was sort of sweet (but mildly sweet). Not really a challah but sort of that similar eggy bread/with a hint of sweetness.

Panna Cotta with cherries

My friends ordered dessert & split it. The panna cotta they got looked pretty good (no sure worth $12 but good!). The syrup and cherries on top also looked quite nice, and they said they were almost candied. It would be nice if they had a few more dessert options and maybe something GF/DF!

Dining room

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Tutto Italia. I was nervous to eat here but overall, they had some nice offerings. If you're just GF, I think you will have a better time here, as there weren't a ton of GF/DF choices but still at least there was something. I wouldn't consider this a vegan friendly place. But the fact that I navigated an Italian restaurant safely makes me happy. I can't step foot into most outside of the 'world.' I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for this experience with safe offerings and some tasty food. Boun Appetito!

Sci-Fi Dine In -- Table Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Hollywood Studios

*This dining experience took place in September 2013.

 Sci-Fi Dine In at Disney's Hollywood Studios offers guests a chance to go back in time to 1950's drive-in theatres. Complete with tables that look like cars and screenings of old B film movies, you will definitely feel transported. The entire menu also fits the drive-in vibe and includes milkshakes, burgers, fries and all those things you'd expect from a typical drive-in. The great thing is that as a gluten free & dairy free diner, I have quite a few choices, including non-dairy milkshakes!On this particular visit, I went with my family before the DHS Villians Bash (which was crazy busy). Dining at Sci-Fi was a welcome retreat before the crowds. Before we waited to be seated, we took the time to look around that the interior design. I love the theming of this restaurant.

Need to make a phone call?!

Finally, our table was ready, and we headed in to the main dining area. I will say, be warned this place is dark. It is exactly like dining out at a drive-in. Of course, it's all in good fun and lends to the great atmosphere. And you'll be busy watching those classic films like "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" and "The Cat Woman from Mars" (yes, these are actual film titles!). There's lots to look around at and see. You'll be greeted by a car-hop who will take your order!Once we met with our car-hop, he went to get the chef who came out and went over a few options. I will say, every time I go here the chefs always seem a little ambivalent about assisting me. It's not that they are bad, but I always feel like I need to know pretty much what I want to order. One of the things that I wanted was a non-dairy milkshake. I had a chocolate one the last time and it was good. I will say that I've been told that they don't use dedicated equipment, so they will clean everything well, but there is always the chance for potential cross contamination. I've been lucky that I personally haven't been sick, but I go in knowing that is a potential risk.

 I liked my milkshake as I did the first time. It wasn't quite as soupy as the first one I had but not quite as solid as a regular milkshake is. Still to get a non-dairy milkshake out is a rarity, so I really enjoyed it.

Car hop attendant area in the back of the theatre/dining room

Totally cool atmosphere!

Up next came my entree. This was a new one for me. I ordered the Salmon BLT which came on Udi's pizza crust which had been turned into a wrap type sandwich. First up, it is hard to see in this restaurant, so I literally had to take a photo of my food to see what it looked like!

Salmon BLT with Fries

Overall, it was a good sandwich, except I would have removed one thing from it--the sweet chili sauce on it. It was a little too spicy for me. It was basically a spicy mayo but I didn't think the sandwich needed it. Actually, I would have preferred regular mayo on it. The Udi's pizza crust/flatbread was not bad. It needed to be grilled a little more or something similar in nature (it was a little tough). The salmon was cooked beautifully and was very flavorful as were the other accompaniments. The fries were nice thick cut fries which I like (and are different than the regular wimpy Disney fries). The sandwich itself was a bit messy to eat, especially in the dark!My family seemed to like their meals. The reuben, onion rings, and the burger with a hot dog & sauerkraut on it were all choices they ordered. The shakes were a bit hit!We all liked this location a lot. I think it gets a bad rap in terms of the food, but overall I found it to be much improved and a step up from a fast food burgers & fries joint. I wouldn't say it's gourmet by any means, but it's not terrible either. As a gluten free/dairy free diner, I have a fair amount of choices, which is nice. I will note that this has not been a very soy free friendly place, as you can read in a previous review with my friend who's gluten, dairy and soy free (review is HERE). Overall, I give this a 7 out of 10 for this visit. Next time I might modify my sandwich to remove the sauce or try something else. But, I really enjoy this restaurant for its atmosphere and those non-dairy milk shakes! Totally out of this world!

Splitsville -- Lunch/Dinner -- Table Service -- Downtown Disney

*This dining experience took place in September 2013 and includes a gluten free & dairy free review and a vegan dining review.

 Splitsville in Downtown Disney is a retro themed bowling alley which offers not only bowling, pool, and other recreational activities but also a variety of food options as well. Since it has opened, Splitsville has been extremely popular and often hard to get into. On this particular occasion, I was able to visit as a part of the Attractions Blogger Bowl for Give Kids the World Village (stay tuned for an upcoming post about this amazing event!). I was able to contact GKTWV ahead of time and they contacted Splitsville to arrange for food for both myself and my friend Tony Caselnova from Disney by the Numbers who was on my bowling team. I was glad that they had several gluten free options and a few dairy free options as well.

 When we arrived, the first thing I will say is that this place is really neat. If you've ever been to Lucky String or King Pin bowling, you'll have an idea of what this kind of a bowling alley is like. I will say, that this place is sort of oddly set-up. It's very tiny compared to many other big retro bowling alleys. There are two levels and the blogger bowl took place on the 2nd floor. While we waited I got to look around and check out the sushi bar.

Lots of great folks here including Steve Barrett the Hidden Mickey Guy, Allison from Destinations in Florida, Tony Caselnova from Disney by the Numbers, Krista Joy from Disneyways.com, yours truly & Ramon Rodriguez from Theme Park Concierge!

 Once we checked in at our lane, I asked a Splitsville representative about special dietary arrangements. Now, when I had arranged food with GKTWV, they asked me to give them several options from the menu that I might be interested in. Thankfully, I had some idea of what might be safe gluten free wise thanks to my friend Alexis over at Gluten Free in Orlando! She has a terrific review with a photo of the menu HERE. I had requested, based on her experience, three options: the mahi mahi with voodoo shrimp, the grilled salmon with brocolli, and the Tijuana chicken sandwich all of which were on the Splitsville GF list (one of them isn't anymore but more on that later). I also requested that they make a vegan dish for Tony.Now, the Splitsville representative who helped us (I will assume a manager) told me that my sandwich needed to be re-made because they didn't know it needed to be dairy free too and had been prepared with cheese on it. They asked Tony if he was OK with a stir-fry, which he was. When the items came out, I saw that my sandwich was on a bun that looked very similar to Udi's. I asked what kind of bun it was, if it had dairy, etc. The manager radioed the kitchen and they said it was just "tapioca and water." Now if you look at this picture, this is definitely more than just tapioca and water. I make Chebe buns all the time and they are totally different. *I later learned that I consumed a regular bun that was not gluten free. Well, that does explain why I got sick.

Spicy Veggie Bowl

Tony got the spicy veggie bowl, and I have to say it looked good. He seemed to like it, and it looked fairly substantial of a meal overall. Honestly, I could have gone for something similar but with chicken or shrimp. The fresh avocado looked delicious! Later I discovered they can do GF rice bowls, which would have been good to know!

Tijuana Chicken sandwich on an "unnamed bun"

To me, this sandwich was OK. The chicken was nothing special and the salsa on it was just OK. The broccoli was just plain steamed broccoli. I'm not sure I'd order it again based on taste. But, I definitely won't be ordering it again based on my stomach afterwards. I definitely got glutened. I had massive stomach pains about 30 min - 1 hour after eating. Not good!!I also discovered after looking at a newly released menu from Splitsville indicating GF options today that the Tijuana Chicken is not listed as Gluten Free. That is not comforting considering that I was sick. Now, it may be that they can easily modify it GF but it's certainly not listed on their standard menu as GF. *I later learned that the rest of the sandwich minus the gluten filled bun can be made GF just with a lettuce wrap.You can see the Splitsville menu HEREOverall, I liked the atmosphere of the restaurant and bowling alley, but I found the food to be pretty mediocre and the GF offerings sparse. Adding in a second dietary need seemed to really put a wrench in the wheel too. They also didn't seem to have much in terms of vegan options either. Overall, I'd give this a 3 out of 10, considering that I got sick. I think it will be a while before I eat at Splitsville, though I would happily go bowl there again especially if it were for a great cause like the blogger bowl! Great for entertainment, just maybe not the best food option for a special diet given this experience.

 

Contempo Cafe -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Contemporary

*This dining experience took place in September 2013.

 The Contemporary to me is classic Disney. It's really an iconic resort and truly gives you a feel of nostalgia. With the monorail whizzing through the resort, it's hard not to love everything about the Contemporary. Their quick service location, Contempo Cafe is right in the center of it all. It's located near the monorail station and directly next to Chef Mickey's. In general, it's a great quick service spot to grab a quick bite for special diets.

 On this particular visit, my family and I grabbed breakfast here before heading to the Magic Kingdom. Now you know I'm a big fan of table service breakfast, but I will say that quick service can be really quick and efficient. I adore the Mara for example (see review HERE); it's probably my hands down favorite quick service breakfast spot. Contempo Cafe offers a hearty breakfast, though perhaps not quite as good as others. It's not bad if you're at the Contemporary though.When you order with a special diet here at the Contempo Cafe, you head to the pick-up station, which is rather small. Check with a cast member and explain that you have a dietary need. For me, I usually have a good idea what I want here, but it's always good to check with the cast members. The manager met me and she was fairly new (she just moved from Michigan, my home-state, less than 2 months ago), so she wasn't completely sure of everything and had to check. I told her I wanted the bounty platter because I could get allergy Mickey waffles (my weakness!). The eggs she said are usually dairy free (scrambled eggs that is) and that the potatoes and other items except the biscuit would be OK as well. So I waited and checked out the restaurant. It was quite busy!

Dining area--I love the view of the artwork

I also noticed while waiting that Rapid Fill (the new refillable mug program) was installed and available for purchase, though it didn't look like the machines were actually working like they were supposed to yet (i.e. they were installed and you could use them but they weren't fully functioning). I also noticed that Rapid Fill is only on the soda machines, not coffee and tea.

 Finally my food was ready, and I went to pick it up. I noticed right away that there was a nice "hidden" Mickey on my lid. Can you spot it?

No so hidden Mickey!

Most of my breakfast was just fine. I liked the eggs, but they were nothing to write home about. The bacon was also good. The turkey sausage...not my cup of tea. I found it too spicy and really thin and weird tasting. I think I recall not liking this before, but it had been so long I thought maybe they had changed it. The potatoes are the exact same ones next door at Chef Mickey's--a little spicy though! Now the Mickey waffles...uggg...this was a fail. 1) They used straight Namaste which to me doesn't taste as good and 2) they didn't cook them all the way through. They were a gummy, nasty mess. Also, the only syrup they had was the corn syrup based kind and not the real maple syrup. Yuck!! I can handle that if the Mickey waffles are at least good to begin with. But both? No thank you.

Next time I will head to the Mara!

Overall, I feel sort of so-so about this breakfast. Some things were good and others, just mediocre at best. Those Mickey waffles were cold and gummy. Not the way I envision my beloved allergy Mickey waffles! Right now, I think I'd skip this for breakfast unless I was staying at the Contemporary (and even then I might think of other options). I'm giving this a 6 out of 10. Just so-so.

Roaring Forks -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Wilderness Lodge

*This dining experience took place in September 2013.

Wilderness Lodge Lobby--One of my favorite resorts!

Anytime you visit the Wilderness Lodge, you're bound to experience the joys of this resort and really feel like you're transported to a turn-of-the-century national park lodge at the Grand Canyon. Every dining experience gives you that feeling from Whispering Canyon Cafe with its family style meals to the grandeur of Artist Point and its Arts & Crafts movement inspiration. Roaring Forks is the quick service location at the resort, and you will feel like you're saddling up for a day of exploring after you fuel here for a meal. Each time I've been I've been pleasantly surprised by the special diets offerings.On this particular occasion, we stopped by to grab a late lunch/early dinner. It was actually quite bustling in the restaurant which was surprising at 2:30 p.m. We'd spent the day in the Magic Kingdom, so it was a nice place to take a break and rest from it the busy day. I love that going to the lodge makes you feel completely removed from the theme parks. In fact, I spent my 30th birthday week here and it's one of my favorite places to relax!

Self portrait while relaxing in the big chairs in the lobby

Roaring Forks is located near the pool area of the resort (if you see Artist Point keep going down the long corridor and turn left). It's a bit of a tiny quick service location with a small ordering and dining area. It gets really busy in the mornings!

 I will say that the menu isn't super big for this location, so we didn't have a ton to choose from overall, but there were a few good choices. I am a big fan of the Wilderness Salad which comes with grilled chicken, walnuts (plain, not candied), diced apples, and an apple vinaigrette. It also has cheese and croutons but can be easily made GF/DF without them. So, I knew I wanted to get the salad. We also decided to try the Grilled Pacific Northwest Chicken Sandwich which sounded intriguing. It's grilled chicken, Canadian bacon, wilderness sauce (which I assumed was not safe) and cheese (omitted for me) and fries.When I got up to the ordering station, I asked for a manager who came out and spoke with me. He said both of these options would be good and the salad was very easy. He then asked what kind of bun I wanted. I was surprised and delighted to hear that they carry both Udi's AND GNI buns! See that's what I'm talking about--carry both; this is a win-win for guests and the kitchen! I prefer the Udi's since I can have egg, so I asked for an Udi's bun. It was nice to know though that they would ask my preference and carry both. Love that! The manager said he'd have to check the Wilderness Sauce ingredients. While I waited, I looked around and checked out some of the great authentic decor.

Part of the Ordering Area

And the other part--very small!

Who's ready to go exploring?

I will say that this manager was very conscientious. He had the cast member assisting him make my salad in a completely separate area with clean dishes, utensils and gloves (it was open so I watched). They opened everything fresh and not at the salad station. The manager prepared my sandwich in the back as well. He came out and showed me the ingredients for the Wilderness Sauce (which is a concoction of mayo, cranberry sauce, mustard, etc.) which looked say to me based on the ingredients. It did say that it contained egg and soy.Then it was off to the dining room to dig in. The family split the meals because we'd eaten at Columbia Harbour House earlier for the allergy friendly chicken tenders! First up was the salad. This was the big hit. My mom said she loved this and would get it again. I also really enjoy this salad. It's fresh, crisp, tasty and great on a hot day. And huge! You get a ton of food.

 Then it was onto the chicken sandwich. I'm gonna say this was OK but a little weird. I liked the chicken. I liked the Canadian bacon and I liked the Udi's bun. But the Wilderness Sauce?! That just seemed weird for the dish. Maybe the cheese would have given it more of a complete dish vibe. We had the sauce on the side--it was good to dip fries in! lol I'm not sure the chicken sandwich would be my top choice but it wasn't terrible either. I'd get the salad over the sandwich hands down.

Wilderness Sauce

Overall, I'd give this location a 7 out of 10. Not quite as many options as I would like but what they did have was nice. They were also very accommodating. The manager even came out to our table in the dining room to make sure it was all OK and that I liked the food. I really appreciated that, and it's nice to see that he was so diligent and wanted to make sure I was satisfied and comfortable with the food. Definitely someplace I'd go back to, especially if I were staying at the lodge!

Restaurant Marrakesh -- Dinner -- Table Service -- World Showcase

*This dining experience took place in August 2013 and includes a gluten free & yellow food coloring review.

Inside Restaurant Marrakesh

Dining at Restaurant Marrakesh in the World Showcase at Epcot makes you feel like you've been transported to the Middle East. From the decor to the food and even the live entertainment, it's not hard to see why. This restaurant is tucked away in the back of the Morocco Pavilion and is often one of the most overlooked restaurants in the World Showcase. You can easily get in to dine at this location, even without a reservation. On this particular visit, we found the restaurant to be very quiet (even for a Saturday evening).I had not been to Restaurant Marrakesh in several years, so I was excited to head back. Some of my friends had been several times recently (one of whom is gluten free & also allergic to yellow food coloring), and they had been really enjoying it. So, I joined them one night for dinner. One of the things that had changed from the last time that I went from this time is that the chef did not come out, but rather the server worked with you on special dietary information. While I always prefer to speak with a chef, this actually was fine because the server seemed very knowledgeable and was willing to get the chef if we needed to speak with him. I will say that the first time I went, I had some difficulties with the chef due to a language barrier and I often find this to be the case at Tangierine Cafe (you can read a recent review of the quick service location HERE). The good thing is that most Middle Eastern food options have gluten free counterparts or are naturally GF. And they don't really use dairy either.

Live entertainment at the restaurant. Traditional music & belly dancing

Both my friend and I chose the lemon chicken (I almost got the kebobs but decided to try something different). Our table also shared the Moroccan Salad Combo For Two - which contains green pepper and tomato, marinated olives, carrots, potatoes, and cucumber salad. Of course, this was enough for the 3 of us at dinner, so it was great. Both my friend and I got the Ener-G rolls (one of the few locations on property that still carries them) with it. Overall, my favorites were the marinated olives (the same ones at Restaurant Marrakesh), the carrots--surprisingly flavorful and very tender, my body can't handle crunchy carrots in large amounts--and the potatoes. The cucumber salad was very bland. It needed salt (which my friends tried and said made all the difference). The green pepper & tomato was a bit like a tapenade but just not my favorite, really. If I were a vegan or vegetarian, this would be a terrific option as an appetizer or even an entree with some other sides!

Moroccan Salad Combo: from L to R Green Pepper & Tomatoes, Marinated Olives, Carrots, Potatoes, and Cucumber Salad with Ener-G rolls

One of the other things I got was the mint tea. Omigoodness!! This was THE.BEST.MINT.TEA.EVER! Can you tell I really liked it? Also, the way they serve the tea is a show in and of itself. Truly. Here's a little video clip showing you what I mean (It's a wonder they don't spill the tea from that distance!)[embedplusvideo height="380" width="700" editlink="http://bit.ly/1cuScME" standard="http://www.youtube.com/v/c5FcanViq58?fs=1" vars="ytid=c5FcanViq58&width=700&height=380&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=&notes=" id="ep4121" /] And, of course, I somehow managed to not get any pics of the mint tea by itself; however, here's a great photo (thanks to my friend's layout) of the appetizer, Ener-G rolls & the tea. You can get this tea hot or cold (I asked for cold but got hot, which was fine) It uses green tea and fresh mint. So amazing. Can't get any better than that! And you get as many refills as you want--that's a win!

Perfect meal, if you ask me! I might just go and order this next time!

Then it was onto the entree. Since both of us got lemon chicken, I'll add his thoughts in this too. First off, the presentation was lovely. It was a 1/2 of a chicken (bone in), which looks gorgeous on a plate. Personally, I am not a huge fan of bone-in chicken just because it's more difficult to cut, etc. but it does make the chicken more flavorful and tender.

Lemon Chicken - braised half chicken with garlic, green olives, and preserved lemon

As you can see, it was a rather large portion. Yes, we were full by the end (and we got dessert!). Overall, we both liked the dish but I personally thought it needed more lemon flavor. I found the lemon flavor a bit sedate in this dish. We both agreed that the dish needed more olives (I only had 3). The potatoes were very well cooked. The white meat was a little dry, but the darker chicken meat was fall off the bone tender. The biggest win was the sauce. It was soooo delicious. We both felt the flavors needed a little oooomph but overall found the sauce delicious (just not really lemon chicken sauce). In general, we both thought this was a good dish (he's ordered it before and really loved it). Personally, I might go for the kebobs the next time. I think the kebobs, rice, and hummus are more up my alley of flavor profiles (I remember the kebobs to be very flavorful). I do think this was a good dish though and would def. order again. It just probably wouldn't me my personal first choice.Up next, was dessert. My friend keeps raving about this fruit dessert with orange blossom water, so I had to try it. The dessert is a variation of the: Marrakesh Delight - fresh fruit salad topped with mint ice cream, toasted almonds and orange blossom water. My friend can't have the mint ice cream either because it contains gluten, so we both had the fruit. Wow! This was delicious!! And huge! They were very generous with the fruit. My favorite part was the orange juice and orange blossom water combination. To die for! Here's a tip. You can re-create it at home yourself by using orange juice and orange blossom water, which you can purchase at the Morocco Pavilion! (Be warned a little bit goes a LONG way!). I believe the bottles of Orange Blossom Water are $8.99 but will last a very long time.

One of my favorite ways to have fruit now! Very unique and delicious!

Overall, I'm giving Restaurant Marrakesh a solid 7 out of 10. I find the food to be fairly good and the GF/DF even vegetarian and vegan offerings to be decent. It has terrific atmosphere which is a huge plus for this restaurant, and I wouldn't hesitate to come back. It's a wonderful place for families, adults, kids...really anyone wanting a nice meal in the World Showcase!Have you been to Restaurant Marrakesh? What did you think?

Kouzzina -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Boardwalk

*This dining experience took place in August 2013.

Kouzzina menus

Kouzzina at the Boardwalk Resort remains one of my top restaurant recommendations for breakfast, regardless of whether you have a special diet or not. This restaurant, owned and operated by celebrity chef Cat Cora, offers a taste of the Mediterranean. Breakfast continues to remain a big hit with special diets diners. From allergy friendly Mickey waffles to unique Mediterranean inspired fare, it's sure to please any palate.As a GF/DF diner, I adore Kouzzina. The food quality is just a notch above many TS breakfast locations, and I love some of the unique dishes that they serve. In fact, it's my go-to  place to take family & friends when they visit, and always one of my first recommendations for 1st time Disney goers. It's just that good! And can you believe I've never been to dinner here?! That's something I hope to remedy soon.But onto breakfast! I went with family that morning resolved to order something other than my usual standard which is the American entree modified to include allergy friendly Mickey waffles. My family had been raving about the breakfast skillet entree so I was contemplating that.

Quiet day! I love this dining room. So cozy.

Now, Chef Sergio has been the morning chef for a while. You might recall him from the day I had the worst Mickey waffles ever (not his fault; I just didn't personally like the Namaste mix for those waffles). He's very nice and always very helpful. I had heard from reader Linda T. that he was moving from the weekend am shift to pm for a while. I was a bit sad to see another one of my familiar chefs move shifts! Now I just need to go to dinner :) I was greeted on the morning I went by Chef Paul who was very nice. I told him that I was contemplating both the breakfast skillet & the turkey-sweet potato hash and he said that both of these were available GF/DF. I was very excited about this. I decided to go with the turkey-sweet potato hash on a whim because 1) it sounded good and 2) if I ordered Mickey waffles with it, it would be close to the same price as the other dish. You guessed it, Mickey waffles won out. So I ordered the hash with eggs over-easy and the side of allergy Mickey waffles. I was very surprised and thrilled to see Chef Paul bring out my dish with Udi's toast as well! (hey, I love my carbs!) I hadn't asked for toast, so I was very surprised to see it come with my dish. I'm sure they serve a regular non-GF bread with the traditional version, so it was nice to have. I didn't get any Earth Balance with it, but I decided not to ask because I had so much to top the toast with in terms of what was on my plate.

Udi's Toast, Turkey-sweet potato hash topped with eggs over-easy and arugula salad.

First off, this was just a gorgeous plate of food. The colors are all so vibrant. The first thing you get on the plate is the arugula salad. Delicious! It's tossed with very flavorful extra virgin olive oil and perfectly seasoned. The eggs are also cooked in high quality EVOO. Underneath this is a mixture of sweet potatoes, sliced/diced white turkey breast meat, onions, and some peppers. Just delicious. Everything balanced perfectly, and I found it to be one of those really hearty breakfast options. This is sooo going to be a RunDisney breakfast for me! I've had the sweet potato hash before, but I will say the turkey in this dish really made the hash. This may be one of my new favorite breakfast options! What I love is that it's tasty and different. It's not the same old same old, which is what many of us with special diets get. Hands down big winner.

Mickey waffles - YUM!

And of course, I can't do a breakfast review here without briefly mentioning the allergy friendly Mickey waffles. I adore them. What can I say?! They are very delicious at Kouzzina and probably some of the best on property.

 Overall, I can never say enough good things about Kouzzina. It continues to stand heads and tails above the rest when it comes to delicious gluten free & dairy free breakfast options. I know that many of my friends with special diets have enjoyed meals here too. They are very accommodating. A solid 9 out of 10, as always!! Best breakfast EVER!

ABC Commissary -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Hollywood Studios

*This dining experience took place in August 2013.

You'll feel like you're on a movie lot

If you ever wondered what it might be like to eat on a movie lot's commissary, ABC Commissary located in Disney's Hollywood Studios gives you a peek into that experience. In fact, you'd expect your favorite tv & movie stars to be seated next to you, grabbing lunch in between takes! ABC Commissary offers fairly standard quick service fare at WDW but also easily accommodates gluten free & dairy free diners.When I arrived at this location, I knew that I wanted the allergy friendly chicken tenders and French fries, having eaten them here before. I also knew that they had a dedicated fryer, so that I could have them fried, not baked (which also cuts the waiting time by half). I recalled that there were several other options as well, though they were fairly standard. I will say that the Studios were very busy that day and even though it was 2:30 p.m. It took a while in line, particularly because my line had one very annoying party that couldn't decide what they wanted to eat (side note, as a courtesy I always recommend you have a good idea of what you want to eat because it streamlines the process for everyone involved not just your family!). Though, I suppose it gave me a good opportunity to look at the decor of ABC Commissary. I will say, I do love the trees inside the restaurant. It just adds a little extra touch (I do however think they need to rethink the covers for the trees, because I tripped on a couple of them!).

You can tell everyone is hot & tired. You can catch a glimpse of those palm trees though!

Once I met with the manager, she asked about my special dietary needs. It was really interesting because she actually asked when I said gluten & dairy, if they were allergies, Celiac disease or intolerances. On the one hand, I really loved that she asked this. I hate saying "I have allergies" when I have gluten and dairy intolerance. On the other hand, her tone indicated to me that she didn't seem to think intolerances were as valid as Celiac disease or a dairy allergy. That is frustrating to me, particularly as I react quite severely to gluten &amp my dairy reactions are also quite unpleasant and similar to an allergic reaction (I get scratchy throat, migraines, etc.). So, it was interesting to have this discussion with a CM. I do think it's nice to have people ask about what it is, on the other hand, I don't want that to mean that they take it less seriously, if that makes sense. But in any event, we went through the typical procedure where she wrote up the special diets on the yellow notepad that many QS diners will recognize. She also went through the binder with me. She mentioned that I could have a variation of the Chicken Blue sandwich (sort of a buffalo chicken sandwich, which had been offered to me on previous occasions) and a hamburger minus the cheese. I decline and opted for the allergy-friendly chicken tenders. She also showed me the ingredients. I didn't grab a picture but for those that recently asked, the brand is Allergy Free Foods (check out their website HERE) and the tenders were rice flour, tapioca flour based. She gave me a pager and I was off to grab a seat and wait.Once the pager went off, I ran back up to the counter and met the manager who brought out my chicken tenders. Then it was time to dig in!!

Yum! My fav!

I will say that the chicken tenders, despite the fact that they use the same brand, are different depending on the location. I think it's how they fry them. I don't know what Columbia Harbour House does but those things are soooo addicting there. It's almost like they double-fry them or fry them for a specific time that gets them really crispy. These were good but really could have used a couple more minutes in the fryer in terms of crispiness. Still tasty, yes. Crispy...eh, not so much. The french fries were good as usual, nothing too special about regular Disney fries.I like that I have a few options here. I also love that it's air conditioned which was a huge selling point in August (my other choice was Backlot Express and it is not air conditioned). I like that I can get the allergy friendly chicken tenders here. I just wish they had a few more options. Overall, I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for this experience.

The Mara -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge

*This dining review took place in August 2013.

Mara is located by the Pool at AKL Jambo House

Jambo everyone! The Animal Kingdom Lodge consistently remains one of my favorite resorts on property, not just because of the amazing location but also because of the wonderful restaurants located at this resort. Not only do they provide great African inspired meals, but they also are terrific at accommodating for gluten free & dairy free diners. The Mara is the Animal Kingdom Lodge's quick service location, and I have eaten here many times for lunch & dinner; however, I'd never eaten here for breakfast. On this particular occasion, I had the opportunity to grab a quick breakfast here and see the great offerings they provide. I was thrilled to have a really tasty breakfast here and found it to be one of my favorite QS locations for breakfast on property!One of the things that you should know about the Mara is that it can be challenging to find, if you don't know what you're looking for. Tucked outside on the ground floor, you'll want to head past the pool area to find this location. If you take the elevators to the ground floor, walk past the Boma & Jiko entrances and head outside.

 You'll find that the Mara offers traditional fare, as well as lots of African inspired options, as well. This is true for both breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's great to see that even for the quick service meals, the offerings are really unique to this location.For breakfast, they have a lot of your traditional fare--from the Mickey waffle to the Bounty Platter (which is pretty much at every quick service location). Of course, they do have some unique offerings like Bobotie platter; however, Bobotie has tons of dairy in it, and needs to be specially prepared well in advance if you wanted a GF/DF version (I did this once at Boma. Chef Amber who is now at Kona Cafe made me this amazing dish. See the review HERE). There is also an African Inspired Breakfast Platter which is pretty much GF/DF (depending on how they prepare the pap, etc.).When I arrived, I asked the cast member on duty for a chef. While I waited, I explored the restaurant--noting that some of the old standbys like the Special Diets stand are no longer there. That's a bummer! I also didn't see any Babycakes in the refrigerated section either (I was hoping they might be there). It seems like they have reduced some of the offerings.

 Chef Chris from over at Boma came over to assist me. I think he thinks I stalk him! He was like, "I know you" Yep. I come here waaaay too much. He asked what I was in the mood for, and I mentioned I thought the Bounty Platter, mostly because I wanted allergy Mickey waffles (what can I say, you all know I'm a sucker for them!). He said something about being able to make the African Inspired Platter as well. The good news is that I'm really familiar with the Boma menu and I know the scrambled eggs are safe and that often the pap is dairy free. The chakalaka and grilled tomatoes are also great GF/DF, vegetarian and vegan choices. The only thing I didn't know about was the Merguez sausage which I didn't ask about. Basically, I knew I wanted the regular platter so I didn't investigate too much (sorry!). Also, if you like quinoa, you can get hot quinoa here that is also gluten free & dairy free. Just avoid the "toppings" out in the main condiment and drink area--always ask for those from the back. I didn't take a photo but let's just say that area was pretty cross contaminated! Chef said it would take about 5-8 minutes.It all came out pretty quickly, and I will say, I felt like he just went to the Boma kitchen and grabbed and/or made stuff! It was all very Boma like!

Now this is a bounty platter I can get on board with!

Having had my share of bounty platters throughout the resort, I will say hands down this is the best one I've ever had. I think it was the combination of both AKL prepared food & it being very fresh. But, seriously, this was amazing. The scrambled eggs were very yummy. Perfectly cooked. The bacon seemed a little meatier (does that make sense?) from the stringy bacon you usually get, though I'll say I've been seeing some bacon improvements lately. I skipped the sausage on this platter because sausage and I are not friends. The best part were the breakfast potatoes which have the same seasoning as the ones at Boma (soooo good!) and the Mickey waffles. I definitely scarfed all of this down.Overall, I plan to go back to the Mara for breakfast again. I get all the flavor of Boma at half the price! Of course, there's lots of Boma faves you can't get here, but if you want a quick fix, this is excellent. I also like Chef Chris a lot. He's pretty goofy, but he always makes sure I get what I need for a safe meal. And of course, the Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of my favorite resorts for theming.Definitely a solid 9 out of 10 for this particular meal. Overall, I'd give it an 8 but I can't complain for breakfast at all. I would highly recommend this quick service location!

'Ohana -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Polynesian

*This dining experience took place in July 2013 and includes a gluten free & dairy free review and a vegan review. I'm pleased to be sharing this review with you. It is the first dual review I've ever shared. You'll hear my perspective, as well as that of my friend and gluten free & food allergy cookbook author Laurie Sadowski. You can check out more about Laurie and her books at: http://theallergyfreecook.com/ You'll find my review in black and Laurie's in orange. :)

 

‘Ohana means family. And that means the restaurant ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort is a terrific place to visit with family and friends. Which is exactly what I did recently! My friend Laurie was in Orlando for the weekend, and we decided to head to ‘Ohana for a late dinner. (On a side note, Laurie is a fantastic gluten free, vegan, and allergy-friendly cookbook author, whose recipes are especially wonderful. Seriously, check out her books at: http://theallergyfreecook.com/ You won’t be sorry!) Laurie has celiac disease so she is gluten free, and she is also vegan, so she took care of the special diets arrangements for the meal!

 

Aw, well, thanks, Sarah! It was awesome being able to meet up with Sarah at ‘Ohana, and it was a good choice, too -- we were famished! Before we headed over, I sent along the special diets request, and the chef emailed me beforehand to discuss a few details. I had a few questions, and wanted to see what they thought. You’ll read about these below!

 

When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see Chef Johnny who used to be the regular morning chef at Kona Cafe. I knew that he had moved over to ‘Ohana, but I thought he was only covering the mornings. It was great to see him there for dinner! It’s been awhile since we’ve crossed paths, so I think he was a little surprised to see me. Yep, you know you go to Disney too much when chefs recognize you!

 

Well, some of us don’t have the luxury of living so close to Disney! But I do find that some chefs do recognize you when you come, especially if it is a restaurant that you frequent when you head down. When my mom and I head to Disney, we get recognized by a lot of the Table Service chefs, but I think that is because of our specific allergies and having the wheelchair in tow.

 

I was really surprised to hear all the amazing things that they had planned for Laurie as a vegan. Honestly, ‘Ohana isn’t one of those places I immediately think of as vegan friendly, but it seems like they were nicely able to accommodate her. Her sushi looked amazing as did her tofu stir-fry. This is definitely one of those places that made me rethink the type of dishes I could get.

 

This past year when my mom and I went to Disney (which I am still so late to post up!), we went to ‘Ohana, and the chef brought me sushi as my appetizer. I wanted to see if that could happen again, so that was one thing I had emailed chef Johnny about. Similarly, the default gluten-free/vegan dish is a tofu stir-fry with a very rich sauce, and I asked if he could make it without the sauce (which he did).

 

First up though were the “appetizers.” Both of us were able to have the GNI brand rolls. Unfortunately, they were totally improperly heated and were nice and warm on the outside....not so much on the inside. I think we both sort of picked at these. No matter, there were tons of other food options. We also could both have the salad which is now a papaya-mango salad. Very delicious, but of course it’s no honey lime dressing (which unfortunately would not be vegan)! Still, ‘Ohana definitely provides a nice salad course. I always feel bummed because I have to limit my salad intake because of the Crohn’s. But it was definitely enough to satisfy my salad craving. 

 

Salad

Like Sarah, salad and I aren’t always the best of friends with the whole celiac disease, but I really enjoy the one at ‘Ohana. The rolls weren’t the worst round of GNI that I’ve had, but we picked at the edges and it seemed like enough for us. They also gave us some soy-based Earth Balance with them. If you’re soy-free, they give you a saucer of olive oil.

 

As the appetizer course went on, this is where things began to vary. I had the chicken wings, which this time were dipped in sweet and sour sauce. Quite tasty. I asked for a small amount of these because it never fails that they bring me a ton of them, and I can’t finish them. This was the perfect amount. I was wowed by the vegan sushi! Talk about a really nice appetizer offering! 

 

Chicken wings

Sushi is one of my favourite things, and though I’d like to say you can’t really mess up a veg-based sushi, well, you can. I’ve had sushi with terrible rice and brown avocado... not exactly fresh something to write home about. The rice was cooked perfectly, and it was loaded with veggies that were in a good ratio with one another. Served with pickled ginger (my favourite! Could eat jars of this all day), wasabi (which I love), and gluten-free tamari.

Vegan sushi

As our main dishes came it was time to really dig in. I had rice, stir fry vegetables and grilled chicken and pork. I was also able to get the shrimp from the grill. As a gluten free & dairy free diner, I could also have the beef, but since I don’t really eat beef that one was out. I was also able to get the gluten free teriyaki sauce and sweet and sour sauce upon request. Chef Johnny was very accommodating at our table. One of the things I noticed about my shrimp was that they weren’t as spicy as they normally are. In fact, they were more “sweet and sour” than anything. After we left, I noticed that there have been some menu changes, and it looks like the grilled meats have been changed slightly. For example, the marinated sirloin steak (which is gluten free & dairy free) has now been changed to a Szechuan steak (which based on that evening, also safe). None of the others are considered safe, except the shrimp, but if you’re dining with others who don’t have a special diet, it’s good to note some of the changes. 

 

Chicken & Pork with stir-fry vegetables and sticky rice

My main course was a lot of food -- but I can’t say I was complaining! I had a huge, whopping bowl of stir-fried vegetables (and I eat a LOT of food... so anything I think is big, well, is huge. Trust me.) Chef Johnny said, “Your sticky rice is coming.” And I responded, “So wait, it isn’t under here?” gesturing to the vegetables... because it was so massive. The vegetables included broccoli, peppers, carrots, onion, baby corn, mushrooms, potatoes (which is always weird to me that they put them in, but taste good), and water chestnuts. The tofu is soft but flavorful, with a hint of meaty texture. The dish overall was just lightly seasoned--which is what I wanted--but generally can be served with a sweet sauce (likely the teriyaki sauce that Sarah mentioned). This photo does not do it justice--this was huge!

 

Tofu stir-fry

Overall, I liked my main course. I thought the veggies had decent flavor and were good well (and a little more “overcooked” which always appeals to my stomach with Crohn’s). The rice wasn’t a gummy mess like the last time I was there, so that was an improvement. I’m really liking that they are grilled the meats--they used to pan fry them. The grill really imparts some nice flavor. And of course, the shrimp were excellent, even if they were more sweet and sour like. 

 

Grilled shrimp

I enjoyed my dish a lot, but it also isn’t anything special or upscale. I’m pretty sure that the veggies are a frozen mix from a bag, which is fine, since they weren’t overcooked. If you go into ‘Ohana with fine dining expectations, you won’t get it. But it definitely satisfied exactly what I wanted out of my dinner (after all, that’s why we chose ‘Ohana!)

 

I was seriously stuffed by the time I finished my entree. But, I was excited to hear there was a surprise for our dessert. Both Laurie and I were hoping for something different and exciting--more than just some Enjoy Life Cookies & Rice Dream.

 

This was something I requested in the email. I had specifically requested no Tofutti, so that was my main concern (for multiple reasons), and he had emailed me back and said that he could do a sundae with Enjoy Life Cookies and Rice Dream. But, you know, I’ve had experience with chefs who love to do more, so I figured... doesn’t hurt to try. I basically said, “We’d be great with that! Or... if you want to get creative and do something fun, we’re totally open to that, as well.”

 

And Chef Johnny definitely delivered. He brought out this delicious apple & blueberry cobbler with a pecan crumble and Rice Dream non-dairy ice cream.

 

Yes, you read that right.

 

This was soooo good. I loved the flavor combination, and the Rice Dream was perfect on top. I will say, it was a little sweeter than I would have liked (there was a lot of sweet syrupy goodness in it) but overall, this was a welcome treat compared to so many of the same boring desserts you get at Disney. I wish I could have finished all of mine, but my stomach was plum full! 

 

Apple blueberry cobbler with pecan crumble & Rice Dream

It was really sweet, so the Rice Dream was the perfect way to offset it. But man, it was so good and a perfect, warming way to end our dinner together.

 

Not only was this a terrific meal but it also brought some unique experiences. It also gave me some great insight to the vegan offerings available there. In the future, I wouldn’t hesitate to contact them ahead of time to see if they could make some type of dessert like this again too. That was perhaps one of my most favorite parts of the meal! Thank goodness Laurie did!

 

Well, I do what I can to please! The truth is, I had one night in Disney and I was spending it with dinner with my friend... go big or go home, right?

 

I’d give this visit a solid 8 out of 10. Though I will say we had a quite terrible server for the meal--thank goodness Chef Johnny was very attentive.

 

Oh, yeah! I forgot. She certainly needs to be revaluated. My meal? Nine out of 10 based on it being ‘Ohana and not comparing it to other restaurants... losing a point for that server, but getting a bit of an edge for the company!

 

Yet again ‘Ohana reminds me of why I love visiting. Good fun, good friends, good times! Mahalo!

Cape May Cafe -- Table Service -- Dinner -- Beach Club

*This dining experience took place in July 2013.

Cape May Buffet stations getting set up before opening

You'll feel like you're at a real New England clam bake when you dine at Cape May Cafe. From the steamed clams, mussels, and crab legs to the steamed red potatoes and the fresh corn on the cob, you'll be treated to some delicious seafood fare. Cape May has remained of my staple favorite buffets for their variety and their plentiful gluten free & dairy free buffet options.The last time I dined at Cape May Cafe was well over a year ago. That visit proved to be disappointing compared to all of my other experiences there. The seafood was overcooked and the options weren't as exciting. Our family decided to give it a try, since it had been so long since most of us had dined there. My brother had been in recent months and had said that the quality was still very good.

Seating area

It's funny because we almost always get the same booth whenever we come to Cape May! And this time, we got the same booth. I think they should put our family's name on it! It is conveniently located to the buffet and means we don't have to go far to get our crab leg fix on!

The feasting begins as guests head to the buffet stations

Chef Allison assisted me on this trip, and she has helped me in the past. She's friendly and helpful and seems to be pretty knowledgeable about special diets. One thing I will say is that she wasn't very forthcoming about foods that I could have from the back. I knew the drill, but if I hadn't asked she might not have offered me rolls or made a salad in the back for me. The nice thing about this buffet is that there are plenty of gluten free & dairy free options--many of them conveniently located next to each other which always makes me feel more confident in cross contamination standards. I personally like to visit a buffet right at opening b/c I can get all my plates quickly and try to avoid that as much as possible and also arrange for the chefs to make me items in the back. Cape May though has so many options that I feel slightly less worried about getting sick.Probably the area that has the most potential for cross contamination is the salad area. They have a huge cheese board now (just stay away dairy free diners!) which is on a corner. They now have kalamata olive and roasted red pepper hummus (my weakness), and it's next to some baked or fried lavash. I grabbed that immediately when no one had looked like they'd gotten any which was good. I would have asked for it from the back otherwise b/c later I saw people slathering the hummus directly on their bread (ay yi!!). Some of the salads have dairy in them. They have balsamic glazed asparagus which is not dairy free b/c evidently the glaze had dairy in it. Bummer because I'm a huge asparagus fan. The peel and eat shrimp are safe, as is the seafood salad, and cocktail sauce. Neither of the salads are safe as is, but I always ask for the Cape May House salad to be prepared in the back. It's made with candied walnuts, cranberries, and an orange citrus vinaigrette and it's amazing! One of my favorites on property. Usually the soups aren't safe but they had a sausage kale soup that was made gluten & dairy free. Happy day!As far as the other buffet components go, stick to the far left side (you can get crab legs on both sides of the buffet) b/c almost everything is GF/DF all the way down the row. Crab legs, clams, mussels (in a sambuca sauce), steamed red potatoes, baked beans, on the cob, and chicken cacciatore were all safe. On the other side of the buffet, stick with the clams, crab legs, and vegetable medley. Pretty much everything else is a no-go (they put dairy in their paella). On the kids buffet, you can score some roasted chicken drumsticks. The carved beef is also safe. My strategy for buffet dining is to get all of my plates at once, which looks a little crazy but makes me feel more confident throughout the meal. Let's just say, I had a LOT of plates!

Cape May House Salad

Chef Allison brought out my salad and some GNI rolls. The salad was amazing as usual. Love the walnuts, love the cranberries, love the vinaigrette! The GNI rolls were really really tough (like overheated tough). But, I added tons of hummus to them and they tasted just fine.

GNI brand rolls

Up next was the soup. It was really good. Very flavorful and perfectly seasoned. I love kale so I enjoyed all the greens in this. The diced potatoes were also nicely cooked. The chorizo was a little too spicy for me to eat but the flavor it added to the broth was just perfect.

Sausage and Kale soup

Then it was onto the appetizer plate. I grabbed tons of peel and eat shrimp (my favorite) and some seafood salad. The peel and eat shrimp are now being prepared differently than they used to be. They now cook them in some type of seasoned water (taste slightly resembled old bay but very mild). They were excellent. I may or may not have gone back for seconds on these... :) The seafood salad was a huge winner. I loved the big pieces of crab, bay scallops, and shrimp. This also had some type of citrus marinade to it. Another one I may have gone back for seconds on! The other big win was the olive medley. Omigosh, these were amazing. I love olives and these were marinated perfectly. They kind of kicked the ones from Tangierine Cafe's butt!

From left to right: Peel and Eat Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce, Seafood Salad, Marinated Olives, Kalamata Olive & Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Then it was onto the crab and clams. Steamed to perfect and both quite delicious. Clarified butter for this is soooo overrated! You don't need the dairy!

Steamed deliciousness!

Up next, I went for the other buffet items

From left to right: Baked Beans, Steamed Red Potatoes, Roasted Chicken Drumstick, and Vegetable Medley

As you can imagine, I was getting pretty full by this time. But, I soldiered through! The food is so good, I couldn't pass it up. The baked beans I liked a lot. They could have been cooked a little longer but otherwise sweet and tasty (note these are not vegetarian friendly beans as they contain some type of pork). The red potatoes here are so good. Steamed to perfect and extra salty. The chicken drumstick was surprisingly flavorful. The vegetables? I'll be honest, they were a bit of disappointment. Very bland. I'd skip that the next time.

Remains of the day...Let's just say we ate a lot of crab and mussels!

By the time dessert rolled around, I was pretty sure I needed to be rolled out of the restaurant. I ate a shameless amount of food. But, it was all so good. Chef Allison had told me that they carried Babycakes desserts here, and that was music to my ears!! I knew they had their mini cupcakes in the quick service location at Beach Club but not at Cape May! She brought out a big platter of four mini cupcakes and two chocolate chip cookies. This was a welcome treat compared to the OMG It's Gluten & Dairy Free Cookie they usually serve (and that I don't really like). I ended up taking the cupcakes home because I couldn't even eat them I was so full. Of course, I managed to get the cookies in my tummy (yes, there's always room for a little dessert).

Mini cupcakes and cookies from Babycakes

As far as other allergies or special diets go, I'm not sure this would be a really great option for guests who are vegetarian or vegan but maybe they can prepare some dishes I'm not aware of. Also, if you have a fish or shellfish allergy, I would just avoid this restaurant. There seems to be a high risk of cross contamination from the buffet, so I'd either have them prepare all your items separately or just look for another restaurant.Overall, I found this be vastly improved for over a year ago. There are some new menu changes that are OK and some old ones that I miss (oh the sauteed cabbage and bacon), but in general I found the menu to be really good.I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10 for this visit, and I hope to visit again much sooner than one year later!

Tangierine Cafe -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Morocco -- World Showcase

*This dining experience took place in July 2013.

Counter at Tangierine Cafe

Visiting the Morocco Pavilion is like visiting an oasis. It's a welcome spot to rest and relax, as well as enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of Morocco. I am a huge fan of Restaurant Marrakesh and Tangierine Cafe provides a taste of Marrakesh in quick service location and half the price. The meals here are often light, flavorful, and affordable.One of the things that often varies at this location is the choices. The menu has changed some in the past few years and also the ways in which the chefs interact with you can vary from visit to visit. Sometimes, they give me a binder but lately, they've been calling a chef who doesn't really confer with you per se, but rather tells you this is what you can or cannot eat. Sometimes, they are more willing to talk to you about things but often there is a slight language barrier that makes this a little difficult. On this particular visit, I knew that I wanted the Chicken Shawarma Platter. It's what I got on the last trip, and I really enjoyed it. The chef told me that this was still safe, as well as Morrocan Kefta Sandwich which is seasoned ground beef patties that are grilled. Of course, you would need this modified because it comes in a wrap. I rarely eat beef, so I went with the chicken. The chef stayed out in the front and directed the cast member serving what they should and shouldn't include on my plate, as well as arranging for an Ener-G roll to be served. For those folks looking for Ener-G rolls/buns, check here because they have them! (and have carried them consistently for a long time).

Chicken Shawarma Platter

The Chicken Shawarma Platter is a decent portion. I love love love their hummus (and always wish I could have more), the olive salad is good, as is the lentil salad. The chicken is a bit spicy, so be forewarned if you do not like spicy food. The Ener-G roll is still not my most favorite roll because it gets Styrofoamy really quickly, but if you add enough hummus, it's perfectly fine. If I were vegetarian or vegan, I'd get the vegetable platter with all of the sides above.

Ener-G Roll/Bun

Overall, I find that Tangierine Cafe is a really nice quick service for something different. I've never disliked any of the food here although I wish they had more options. Of course, if you're looking for more options, I would say head to Restaurant Marrakesh for a slighter larger variety.For me, this is another 7 out of 10 for flavorful food, though I wish they had more options and the chef/manager interaction was a little better. And check out the hummus. It's the best!

Everything Pop! -- Quick Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Pop Century

*This dining experience took place in July 2013.

Entrance to the gift shop and food court

Groovy! Pop Century Resort is all about the retro vibe. From the 1950's all the way to the 80's there is something nostalgic for everyone in your family! Pop Century holds a special place in my heart as one of the resorts I spent vacation with my brother at. We used to take brother and sister trips back in the day and it's a nice reminder of the fun times we had! The last time we stayed there was back in 2005 when Pop Century was new! It was great to head back here and check out the great food court. One of the things that I've consistently heard about Pop Century is its ability to accommodate special diets and on this occasion, they proved to do just that.

View of the food court. It was pretty quite at 1 p.m.

When I arrived at the restaurant, I took a stroll around to see what they offered. They have a lot of sandwiches, burgers, and fries, as well as a custom pasta bar. They also have a lot of comfort food type dishes. I was craving a sandwich and I saw one that stuck out to me that sounded like a Cuban sandwich (you know I'm a fan from my breakfast Cuban at Old Key West). When the chef came out, he asked me what I wanted and I wasn't sure really, even though I was leaning towards the pork sandwich. The chef said he could pretty much make me whatever I wanted or was in the mood for. I was debating between a tuna salad sandwich (boring, I know) and the roasted pork. I ended up choosing the roasted pork sandwich and french fries. The pork sandwich typically comes on a sub roll with cheese and pickles. The chef said he'd remove the cheese and use the Udi's buns (which turned out to be Udi's bread). Fine by me. I wish I would have asked for more options, but I was really hungry after a blog meetup over at Babycakes (I was too busy gabbing to eat much there--though their donuts are fantastic!)While I was waiting with a pager, I saw the chef come out and bring a lady an allergy meal which was a plain grilled chicken sandwich on an Udi's bun with fries. Good to know you can get the chicken sandwich too.Once my meal came out, I discovered that the Udi's bun was now replaced with Udi's bread. Fine by me, though I think it would have been tastier with the bun. I think they used the bread b/c it gave you more room to add the meat in it.

Roasted Pork Sandwich Modified

One thing I will say is that this portion was huge! The sandwich, which I thought just had roasted pork on it, actually had a lot of different kinds of pork. This can be a good thing and bad thing depending on your opinion but was def. worth the price. (*Note: If you have Tables in Wonderland, you can get 20% off at this restaurant!) It contained roasted pork tenderloin, sliced deli ham and pulled pork (without the BBQ sauce). Holy smokes! It was topped with a spicy brown mustard. I admit, this was entirely too much pork for me. The roasted pork was excellent and I would have preferred the entire sandwich be made of this. The deli ham was also good. The pulled pork was just too greasy and fatty for me. I pulled most of it off the sandwich and skipped eating it. I will say, some pickles would have been a good touch to the sandwich. The french fries weren't anything unusual--the standard Disney french fry.

Here's a view of the layers without the bun. As you can see, very generous portion.

After my meal, I wandered about to see what special diets offerings they had pre-packaged in the food court. They didn't have what I consider to be a huge amount of options out in the front, but my guess is you can ask for some additional products in the back. Pretty much everything in the photo is gluten free, but most contain dairy. I believe they also had the OMG It's Gluten Free and Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookie here as well.

Slightly limited offerings

Overall, I was pleased with my meal, though I wish I would have asked for more options. I do know though, as I mentioned, that Everything Pop! is a terrific place for special diets and there are some great chefs there. I hear tons of first-hand reports from other guests who just rave about their level of special diets accommodation.I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for this particular experience but am looking forward to checking back in again and seeing what else they have to offer.Have you been to Pop Century with a special diet? What have you ordered there? Any good recommendations for guests planning to dine there?

Columbia Harbour House -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in July 2013.

 Hear ye, hear ye! If you visit the Magic Kingdom, you've probably seen Columbia Harbour House located in Liberty Square. Situated across from the Haunted Mansion, Columbia Harbour House offers quick service that proves to be more than just burgers and fries. With lots of New England inspired dishes, you'll see chowder and lobster rolls as well as fried fish on the menu. You might assume that guests with special diets won't be able to get much here; however, they carry one of my favorite quick service options on property: allergy friendly chicken tenders and french fries in a dedicated fryer!I decided to go to Columbia Harbour House on a whim while visiting the MK one day. The chicken tenders sounded like a good idea, and I will say I've always had a particular fondness for the ones prepared at this location. Even though they are the same chicken tenders served across property for special diets, there's something about the way they fry them at CHH.It was lunch time when I arrived here, so it was slightly busy but not as bad considering how busy the park was. I was greeted by a manager who brought over the famous allergy binders. She showed me the chicken tenders as one allergy option. The only other allergy option they had was Amy's mac & cheese--yeah that wouldn't quite work for me! I asked her if other options like the Lobster Roll had GF/DF alternatives. She let me look at the ingredients, but said they didn't have any buns. Well that's a bummer! It looked like the lobster salad was safe for GF/DF based on the ingredients I saw. The manager said they could serve it on a bed of lettuce, but I went with the allergy chicken tenders. On another note, it looked like the salmon served without the couscous might also be a safe option.

Seating in CHH

The seating at this quick service is located on two floors. The cool thing is there are lots of nooks and crannies and places to find quiet spots. I recommend heading to the second floor if you're looking for a quieter meal.

Allergy Chicken tender yumminess!

As you can see from the photo, the portion is quite large. They charged me for the tenders and fries separately. I believe the tenders were a little over $5 and the fries were around $2.75. All in all, I found them to be just as delicious as ever. The tenders were extra crispy and piping hot, as were the fries. From start to finish, they take 8 minutes to prepare according to the manager. The only downside is that they don't have any individual packets of ketchup or other condiments. Besides being a cross contamination risk, they also don't list what company or ingredients are in the sauces, so I ate everything plain. This wasn't a huge loss, as they both were quite delicious!Overall, I still think Columbia Harbour House prepares the best version of the allergy chicken tenders. There's just something about them! As far as other options, they are more limited than say Cosmic Rays or Be Our Guest. If you're looking for allergy chicken tenders this is the place to visit, but look elsewhere if you want other options. I give this a solid 7 out of 10.Have you been to Columbia Harbour House with a special diet? What did you get?